


Master's Sun

by 777



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, 주군의 태양 | The Master's Sun
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-15
Updated: 2013-11-15
Packaged: 2018-01-01 15:39:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1045628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/777/pseuds/777
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry was once bright and sunny. But after a mysterious accident, he suddenly gains the ability to see ghosts. He becomes an outcast, unable to hold down a job and suffering from insomnia. Then he discovers that the ghosts are banished whenever he touches the Master CEO, the most selfish man he's ever known, whom he met on a rainy day. HP/TMR</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Lightning Strikes

**Hi guys! Decided to post this here after the fanfiction main site got so annoying with their downloading restrictions. Hope I'll meet many of you here too...**

**Warning! AU universe** : there is no magic. (only ghosts)...

This fiction implies  **slash themes! or yaoi!**

 **Second warning!**  This fiction is a  **BIG** spoiler for somebody who never watched Master's Sun, which is an amazing 2013 Korean drama.

 

**~MASTER'S SUN~**

**Chapter 1**

'Mister Harry! Young Mister Harry!' the building administrator called the disheveled sleepy boy who just descended the stairs.

'Yes?'

'This afternoon, Room 404 left again. Go clean up.'

'Room 404? I don't understand why that room can't go for long without being vacated. Did the chest of drawers that I picked up on the street bring bad luck?' They were such a good find, he remembered.

'Young mister, take the dresser from that room out, too.'

'Yes', he replied weakly.

Taking a long breath, the young man shuffled his feet back up the stairs. It was a stormy night and a cold draft was starting to get stronger and stronger the more he neared the 404 room until it closed and opened doors with loud 'Bangs'! Harry shivered and crouched on himself. Covering his eyes with a hand and with the other touching hesitantly the doorknob, he took a deep breath and entered the empty apartment. A tingling that crept up his spine told him clearly that what he was afraid of, is indeed, with him. He turned around and stared, his frightened face open and wide-eyed. The ghost of the grandma who lived two blocks away watched him eerily. She was floating in a corner and making noise by opening and closing the drawer chest Harry found on the street. Her deformed blue and transparent face was a horrible thing to behold without running away screaming from the unlit apartment. Right under his eyes, the initial kind features belonging to the old woman he knew from sight went back to normal. Well, a dead kind of normal, she was still dead, transparent and scary. Harry let out a long-suffering sigh.

No matter how many times he saw them, they still let him shaken and frightened. They always came to him, even in his sleep. They always found him if they managed to see him. He was a living person who could see dead people. The only living person they could rely their feelings and their wills. Setting out for a long wait and who knows what kind of strange request (dead people had the strangest reasons and wills to carry out, but they followed a pattern: something they really couldn't leave unfinished on earth so they wouldn't go on and thus bothering Harry)

Harry sat down on the old mattress and prepared to listen to the poor dead grandma with patience and understanding. It was the best course of action. Otherwise, he would be pestered all night and wouldn't get a wink of sleep.

'Pretend you didn't see. Pretend you didn't see.' The young man murmured, walking hurriedly and keeping his gaze down. It was almost midnight and the old lady was leading the way to her resting place. Probably the morgue or the graveyard. Usually it was one of these. Outside in the night it was a dreadful weather, and Harry was most scared of water ghosts were terrible.

He shuddered and tightened his plastic white cloak around himself but it was no help against the fright he was experiencing every time he caught sight of moving shadows and deformed faces. Harry cringed and wondered how many more ghosts will come to him in the next days and how much time it will take to get all the assignments done...He stopped in front of a big concrete building. Great. It was the hospital  _and_ the morgue. He absolutely hated these, only maybe on par with the actual accident places.

'Mom!' a dark man wailed, clutching the hand of the real dead grandma that lived in Harry's neighborhood. More people gathered around the dead person's bed. They were, probably, the family. Harry approached them carefully, making an effort not to watch anybody else around. Anybody dead, to be clear. But still, if he didn't see them first, that didn't mean  _they_  couldn't see him. A cold hand squeezed his shoulder. Harry shook it off and hissed at the old deformed male ghost.

'Go away! I told you to go! I'm on an assignment, don't you see?' Harry pointed in the direction of the grandma ghost who watched Harry's other pretender with a disappointed frown. The male ghost backed off, but he was still in sight. Waiting his turn. Harry sighed and faced the grandma's family, who were already watching him as if he was crazy.

'Excuse me' he addressed them tiredly.' A grandmother told me to give you this money.' Harry searched under his soaked plastic cloak and found the bank ticked that the old lady kept hidden before she died. He went with her so he could get it for them.

'Our mother?' they asked, bewildered.

'How do you know her?'

'He looks familiar'...

The grandma's son took the ticket in his trembling hands and glanced at it. His eyes widened and then watched Harry open-mouthed.

'This money... It's over 500.000 dollars!' Harry nodded and the transparent ghost smiled too. Of course, they wouldn't see her...

'It really is!' the wife and the rest were also staring in awe at the ticket and consequently, at Harry.

'Oh my God!'

'She said to use it to help fund the funeral and use the rest to pay off your debt.' Harry relayed dutifully.

'Mother...'the son murmured, gazing at his mother's corpse as if she was made of diamonds.

'There was also something else she wanted me to tell you.' Harry continued tiredly, eager to be rid of his obligation so he could get some sleep. He was  _so_ sleepy!

'Please, tell me.' the man intoned, watching Harry like a hawk.

Harry cleared his throat, closed his eyes and: ' _You rotten bastard! If you ever touch gambling again, I'll come and cut your hand off, you bastard! Don't gamble anymore_!' Is what she said,' he finished lamely, ready for their incredulous reactions. He was used to this, relaying messages of the senders, imitating their voices, speech and gestures. They looked shocked, but seemed to believe it as something their grandma would have said.

'It really is mom's account book.'

'My word, half a  _million_!'

'How did she have this money?'

'Give it to me.'

'That's not all yours, half of it is mine.  _Hand it over_.'

'How is it yours? Mother told her to deliver this to me!'

'Why? So you'll take this, too, after using everything else?'

'Half of it is mine!'

'What did you do to deserve half? '

'What did you ever do for mom?'

'Then what did you ever do?'

'You lost and sold everything by gambling! You rotten bastard!'

'You even took my house deposit and I got divorced because of that!'

'Was your divorce my responsibility!?'

'Was it my fault?'

'Of course it's your fault!'

'Who else's would it be!'

'It's was your fault! That's why my fingers got chopped off! '

'Is your finger getting cut off my fault?'

' I'm so sick of all this, really!'

'I am sick of it too!'

'As if you were ever good to us...for you to come and take it all?!'

Meanwhile, Harry watched the grandma ghost who offered him a smile and nodded a toothless smile in thanks. Harry was the only one who could see her spirit body floating high and higher, becoming a white, compact mist and disappearing away. That was it. The moment they finally went where they were supposed to go. And Harry always watched them go, savoring the peace he could after they were gone at least. And maybe it was nostalgia, a little bit.

 

~(*)~

Almost midnight, a few streets away from the morgue, near the golf course.

A tall, very handsome and imposing dark-haired man watched with narrowed eyes the pajama-clad owner of the house he was trying to buy. He  _needed_  to erase this house, it was in the way of his golf field, and any delay was costing him. He absolutely detested coming in person to handle this kind of dirty business!

'You're saying that there is a dead spirit here now?' his voice couldn't express more what he thought of the current situation.

'That's right' the owner, named Xenophilius Lovegood had the audacity to tell him.  _Him_! The  _Master_  CEO!

'My dead wife is still in this house.'

The stupid man in his striped pajamas was obviously caught off guard by meeting one of the famous CEO of the city, who came to make business on this storm with only his Secretary but he still held his ground with incredible-to-believe-idiocy. He would prove he's unyielding and won't sell the house, let the CEO die of spite.

'For my only daughter, I've even thought about selling this house' he continued in a quivering voice. 'But my dead wife doesn't want that.'

'So you'll stay as a stumbling block in the middle of my golf course?' the lips of the CEO curled in distaste. He sighed. ' Fine, let's negotiate.'

'If – if my wife is here right now, how-how can I drive her away?' Lovegood stammered, frightened against his will by the menacing figure staring him down.

'The dead person is here?' inquired the CEO while the Secretary's blond eyebrows disappeared in his hairline. Even his secretary wondered why he was wasting time with this kind of tripe. 'Fine. If she's really here, let's negotiate together. What does she say?'

The man's watery eyes blinked rapidly and he stumbled in his haste.

'You will know if you look at that flower, Master CEO,' he addressed by the title deserved. 'My wife treasured that flower. When I had decided to sell this house, that flower wilted and dried up. But, just when I decided not to sell, it bloomed beautifully again, like that.'

The Master CEO closed his eyes, trying not to take in the picture of the ragged man staring at the potted white rose which, presumably, was his dead  _wife_... Secretary Malfoy cleared his throat and covered his mouth with a gloved hand in order to hide a smile. The Master CEO narrowed his eyes at his secretary. The blonde, long-haired man hasn't been able to negotiate the house contract so  _he_  had to come in person until here...

'Your wife expressed her opinion through that flower? That's what you are saying, right?'

'That is correct.' Nodded the owner.

The Master CEO sighed again and walked to the window where the flower rested in a china pot above some old chest drawers. Near the rose dwarf flower was the picture of the owner's house. The CEO looked straight in the eyes of the woman from the photograph and said: 'If that's the case, I guess I'll have to negotiate with the flower.' he concluded. and Lovegood nodded.

Secretary Malfoy smirked as if he was enjoying a spectacular show only he could understand.

'Flower Wife, listen carefully and respond. Your husband does not wish to sell this house, but I must buy this house. Can you really never sell this house? If so, please nod your flower neck.' He turned his head to look at Lovegood, raising an eyebrow, while from the corner of his eyes he caught the bewildered face that Malfoy made, seeing him literally speaking with a  _flower_. The things one would do for money... Well, he spotted very well some scissors and grabbed them discreetly. Leaning in until he was practically touching his lips to the white rose, he whispered:

'If not, I'll cut your rose head.'

The flower failed to respond and he deftly cut off the rosebud.

Xenophilius Lovegood stood up trembling, seeming terrified, both of the guest and the decapitated rose that fell down on the carpet.

'What do you plan on doing?! Are you crazy?!'

The CEO scoffed and raised himself to his full height (which was quite impressive) and contemplated over the pitiful owner with the most distasteful glare he could muster.

'The crazy one is  _you_ , trying to overturn a deal closed between living people by dragging in a dead person, isn't that crazy? You know I have the highest distaste for this kind of people?'

He did. His voice took on a tinge of anger. 'Since I cut off your dead wife's wishes for you, please follow the wishes of your living daughter.'

Secretary Malfoy handed him the official contract detailing the acquisition of the house. He took it and thrust it in the face of Lovegood.

'Sign...Please.' he added with a practiced humourless smile.

The Lovegood poor owner seemed to be still in the shock of overwhelming incapacity to form words but the battle seemed won. Because the flower wife was totally dead (and it was already her second death) he appeared he didn't have a choice but to give in to the Master CEO demands.

Secretary Malfoy took the contract with a smirk in the CEO's direction, who was watching in distaste the rain that was pouring in the night. The blond secretary unfolded the high couture umbrella and gave it to his master. While they were out, the master shielded from rain and Malfoy suffering the downpour, Lovegood recovered his voice.

'No matter what you say, my wife is here!' he gestured to the soon to be erased house. 'If you think lightly of a person's heart and ignore it like this because you can't see it, you'll be struck by lightning!' the old man cursed.

The Master narrowed his eyes and turned back to face the owner.

'I'm going to continue to live smartly and well, ignoring the things I can't see, and ignoring witchcraft believers such as you.' he pronounced in conviction.

'If what I say is wrong, I'll readily take that lightning strike' he continued and passed the umbrella to Malfoy. Standing there under the pouring of the cold rain and the blinking flashes of light, he seemed like a godlike statue from the legends. Water began to fall in rivulets from the tips of his dark hair and following thickly the contours of his sculpted face.

'There is no lighting that struck me' he concluded. 'However, this house has struck gold today. Congratulations.' The CEO bowed ironically to the owner and walked away, with Malfoy in tow.

'If there are ghosts, they'll definitely come to take someone like you!' Lovegood yelled at their backs.

'Are you really not scared of ghosts, Master?' Malfoy inquired, trying not to give the impression he was nervous of the surrounding slums they have found themselves is.

'Why should I be afraid of a dead person? The living ones are scarier.' Riddle shook his head and shuddered.

They reached the classy car and took their respective seats. Malfoy in the driver's place and The Master CEO in the back seats, having them all by himself. The CEO usually didn't drive and after all, he had enough money to employ as many personal drivers as he liked. Yet he kept his Secretary only, and drove himself when Malfoy was unavailable.

'I'll have to re-confirm the contract's contents. Please give me the recording.' The CEO demanded from the back.

'Yes. I read the entire document and saved it on file number 4.'

Riddle took the mp3 player and put on his handset. 'Kingdom Golf Course Purchase Contract: Seller: Xenophilius Lovegood, hereinafter First Party. Buyer: Kingdom, hereinafter Second Party. The purchase agreement between First and Second is agreed upon as follows'... the Malfoy voice drawled in the headphones.

The peace didn't last for long. The CEO was a very busy person, but sometimes it was crazily busy, when unexpected things sprang up. Like that Lovegood with his dead rose wife.

Up ahead a figure clothed in a long plastic cloak was standing in the rain and trying to hail their car. The only car that they met until now was from the opposite direction which meant...that this person that was waiting under the terrible rain...will wait a  _long_  time until he got somebody to stop.

'What is that?' Malfoy squinted in the weak light. 'Is it a person? Looks like he's trying to hitchhike. Should I stop?' he asked the CEO who barely glanced at the poor guy they've already passed.

'Don't pay any attention and go on.' Riddle replied, still reading the contract documents.

Malfoy nodded. From the back mirror he could see the white cloaked person, his hand still raised in pleading. Sighing, he focused on the gloomy deserted road ahead when a blinding flash of light hit the road. Trying not to loose control of the car, Malfoy pressed hard the brakes and stopped the car. Looking ahead, he could only see the forest right and left, and the road ahead.

'What is it?' Riddle demanded in a rough voice. His Master probably got a scare, Malfoy thought, still in fright himself.

'No, it's just that there was a bright light.' He tried to appear calm and started the car.

'Did lightning strike?' The CEO was beginning to ask when a white figure appeared just by his side right window, opened the car's door and slipped inside. It was the young man from before; he probably saw the car stopping and thought it was because they've decided to take him with them. The Master CEO was already setting his lips in refusal, he even moved to the farthest seats.

'Thank you. Oh my God! I thought you were just going to pass by without seeing me, but you did see me.' The boy whispered in a soft voice, and was starting to take off his drenched raincoat. Finally succeeding in his task, he set it down and watched him and the CEO, with curious green eyes. He had black circles and gloomy eyes that contrasted with his pale skin and midnight black hair. The boy really looked like a ragged street person, Malfoy thought.

'What should I do?' he asked, looking at the CEO.

'Just keep going.' His Master was still eyeing the boy with impassive but threatening eyes.

Considering it was safe, the secretary asked the boy, who was starting to feel a little bit uneasy in the hostile environment.

'Why are you outside in the rain at this time?' he asked.

Green wide eyed stared in his direction and said with a timid voice 'Some lady said, if I stood there, your car would come by.' He finished, his countenance seeming instinctively defending, as if he had to fight for his words to be believed everyday.

Malfoy nodded and drove on in the night, but then realized what the boy said. Even Riddle watched the boy with narrowed eyes. The secretary wondered how long the unexpected goodwill of his Master will last.

'That lady really got it right, as if she were a ghost.' The secretary added, with a smirk. Inwardly, he wondered if Riddle will catch his meaning. After all, his Master had just a few minutes earlier dealt quite well with another ghostly episode.

'Right, she must be a ghost. She said even if you avoided lightning, you wouldn't be able to avoid me.' The boy softly muttered, appraising shyly the immaculate figure by his side. 'I guess she was right' he continued.

Riddle's lips became a very tight line even as he was seemingly reading the contract documents.

'But... err...is this car perhaps going to London?' the young man inquired, throwing a nervous glance that seemed to terrify him to the outside still surrounding forest.

'Yes.' admitted Malfoy.

'No' Riddle growled, his displeased eyes focusing on Malfoy with a pointed look.

'Let him off somewhere near here.'

'Yes, Master CEO' the secretary acknowledged, watching the looming black forest with a pang of sympathy for the unfortunate traveler.

The young man was currently peeking at the documents that Riddle was studying. From them, he could clearly see the emblem of Kingdom, which was a very famous and successful brand of shopping centers in UK and around the world.

'Kingdom?' he uttered disbelievingly and then fixing the man beside him in awe. 'Is this you, the  _Master_  CEO?' He leaned in to watch better the emblem but the CEO caught his hand and pushed him away from him.

Harry shivered and stared at his hand that just seconds ago touched the one of the other man. He felt a tingle in his whole body when the CEO had touched him, even if just to make him move further away. He probably thought of him as crazy, as many people thought of him, but Harry didn't have shame anymore.

'You felt that tingle, right?' he asked the undecipherable man who was looking quite annoyed with him.

'No'. Replied the dark man resolutely.

The Secretary watched the scene dumbfounded.

'Oh, but there was a really strong tingle just now!' Harry went on. 'It was very strong, wasn't it?' he was still looking at his hand that tingled and watched the Master CEO with speculative eyes. He had never seen so close up such a refined man as this CEO, and he was very curious why this tingle happened to be just with him.

'No!' denied Riddle in a fuming tone.

'By chance, is Kingdom that really big shopping mall? You see, I live nearby. If you're going there-' 'Harry couldn't finish his phrase that the Mater cut him off. .

'That intersection up there looks appropriate.' The CEO stated. 'Please get out there.'

Harry lowered his head. 'Yes, I'll do that.' He said humbly. It was already a very big accomplishment that he managed to get a ride. His freakishness was often scaring people away but Harry no longer cared about this when he had bigger issues to worry about. Namely, how many more ghosts will get hold of him in that scary looking forest.

He was positively terrified. He was so scared at night time, even more scared when it was storm outside, but to be in a forest, it was one among the most terrorizing notions!

But he had to accept this, even if he was petrified. Sighing in distress, he chanced a glance in the gloomy rainy night. Right up ahead, in the gloom, a black figure that seemed more like a zombie in rags waited.

A dead person.

A  _ghost_.

It waited patiently and ominously, knowing Harry won't be able to escape, knowing it could find and haunt Harry anywhere and anytime, now that he laid eyes on him. Harry couldn't prevent the scream that left his mouth, he was so scared!

Malfoy pressed hard the brakes and stopped the car, the second time in that night. The tires screeched loudly in the silent night. The ghost wasn't ahead anymore, it was right in the car with them, its dead skull with eery yellow strange eyes fixing Harry, trying to get his attention. Harry whimpered and covered his face with his hands and inched to the only source of warmth that was generously next to him. When Harry touched the Master CEO silky clad body, the cold presence left immediately.

'Just keep going! Please don't stop!' Harry pleaded, nose buried in the shoulder of a very angry CEO. The car started again and Harry could breathe again. He was pushed away not even a moment after, and he stared in the dark gaze of the Master CEO. Harry's breath hitched in his throat. This Master had a very intense burning gaze...

And he had made the ghost disappear. It was something unprecedented and Harry was astonished still. Never-ever-! had any ghost who caught sight of him left him go without making Harry do what they requested.

The rest of the journey to London was completely normal, without counting the frozen vibes that the CEO was emanating from time to time and the narrowing, distasteful stares he gave Harry.

 

~(*)~

'Young man', secretary Malfoy asked, 'are you okay?'

'Yes, thank you.' Harry replied in a timid voice. He was watching furtively his surroundings, and he was scared to discover the many bluish lights of ghosts that were in that parking. Luckily, the rain had stopped a while ago, and the two elegant men had consented in the end to bring him until London with them, after witnessing his awkward screaming episode, from which they thought most likely that he had acted on purpose so he could get the ride until London.

'Just a moment.' He said. If he was going to be afraid and cornered in the end, better to do it when there weren't any witnesses around. He sat up (he was the only one who had been sitting on the stone bench they've found in the parking, like a naughty or sick boy having to endure a scolding from his teachers) and went near the corner of the concrete building, tracking the blue cold presence that was waiting for him under the black shadow of a tree.

'In the midst of the confusion of that young man's screaming, we happened to bring him all the way here.' Muttered Riddle with a frown in Harry's direction. Didn't he scream on purpose because I told him to get off?'

'That's not what it seemed like.' said Malfoy, mindful of his Master's irate mood. When he had turned around, the boy's pupils were black in fright, which didn't seem quite fabricated. Maybe the boy was scared of lightning? He definitely looked calmer now that the storm stopped.

'What did he see that made him so scared?' the Master murmured, starting to go in the direction Harry went earlier.

The secretary could only watch perplexed after his Master's retreating back.

Riddle found a good spot to observe the boy who was sitting on his knees under the shadow of the tree with a bottle of alcohol and two glasses splayed in front of him and speaking by himself.

'What's that?' the boy asked, seemingly speaking with an invisible interlocutor.

'You said you got into that accident after drinking.' Riddle looked around intently but still couldn't see anybody. Was this boy really speaking there by himself?

'I really don't understand how you can still long for alcohol after that.' Harry said with a frown, pouring more alcohol in the plastic cup that seemed to belong to his invisible interlocutor. (it was most probably some kind of cheap beer).

'No, it's fine. I can't drink right now, I'm sorry.' Harry denied but it seemed he was convinced to take a sip. Riddle nodded his head in understanding and disgust. It seemed the boy was quite the alcohol addict. Probably escaped recently from a clinic, and that's why he didn't smell in the car. Satisfied with his discovery, Riddle wanted to go but he kept hearing the ongoing strange monologue. And he really wanted to solve the mystery to the end.

'Its fine, I haven't gotten married either.' Riddle could hear quite well from his hiding spot but did he really hear that? Was that young man fooling around or- was he crazy? His instinct made him to think that he wasn't, but his behaviour now...

'I'm pretty? Really?' the boy asked in an unbelievingly voice and blushed. Riddle was incredulous enough to be spying on this conversation and prepared to leave quietly but just then the boy spotted him.

Riddle turned his back on him and walked with wide lengthy steps in the direction of his car.

'Uh! Excus... ! Harry shouted after him 'Don't follow me, go away!'

Seeing that the Master CEO wasn't going to wait for him Harry ran after the man but the damned ghost was still at his heels.

'I told you not to follow me!' he screamed after the woman ghost with whom he just shared a drink (he didn't drink, just poured some and faked his sip) and caught the arm of the Master CEO who stopped abruptly when Harry grabbed him.

'She's not following me.' Harry said amazed, looking around and not finding any trace of ghost.

'She left!' exclaimed Harry, turning his now happy and grateful eyed on the man he held in a desperate grip. He was a really tall man and dressed so sophisticatedly that Harry felt ashamed. What if somebody saw them now, the classy CEO and the sanitarium looking like boy?!

'Oh.' Was the only thing he could say, feeling frozen to the spot under the angry regard that the CEO was throwing him.

'There are two things that I dislike.' The CEO said, fixing Harry with a hard gaze. 'One is someone touching my money and the other is someone touching my body.'

Harry swallowed.

'I cut the flower that touched my money, but what should I do with the hand that touched my body?' Riddle continued in his cold tone.

'I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. I did it because that woman, who was following me, scared me.' Harry explained, offering a tremulous smile to the unforgiving man.

Riddle's dark eyes left his for a moment to scan their environment and returned to Harry's even more unforgiving then before.

'I don't see anything.' he finished frostily.

'She was here and she was following me. When I touched you like this' here Harry patted the suit-clad shoulder 'she disappeared. But she's still listening to us, my back is tingling so much' Harry whimpered, clutching and caressing unconsciously the CEO's warm arm again, as if he was a teddy bear.

The Master CEO seemed to barely keep control of all his cells in his body trying not to strangle the black haired pest that dared to touch him in this manner. He had never been so manhandled in his entire life!

'That lady ghost. Is she friends with you? Go have another drink with the lady' The CEO said through gritted teeth.

Harry looked in all direction but because he was still grabbing onto the elegant CEO, couldn't see anyone...dead.

'Right now there isn't anyone. I think it's because of you' Harry concluded, laying wide green eyes on the statue like man. He was so strong; he could even vanish the ghosts!

Riddle sighed. 'Then again, I have a particular ability to get rid of annoyances that stick around. Want to see?' he gripped Harry's fingers hard with only one hand and squeezed them painfully. 'Let go... and stay here. Don't get scared and watch closely.' Harry watched in disappointment how he was deprived of the safe source of only comfort he had ever had.

The CEO's car arrived and the Master went in. Harry ran after them but couldn't catch them.

He gazed at the disappearing retiring car with longing as if he was staring at a shining starry sky.

But he smiled. He knew where he could find the CEO. Kingdom Shopping Mall in the center of London!

Harry watched in awe his still tingling fingers. He felt as if he had a personal talisman to help him not see any ghosts. He could still see them now, they only disappeared completely when he touched the Master CEO, but it wasn't as bad as before. He felt as if he could breathe again.

He felt he could live again.


	2. I can see dead people

**MASTER'S SUN**

**Chapter Two**

'Did you see this morning's news?' asked Rodolphus Lestrange, an older associate of the CEO. 'There was an entertainment news report saying that Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley's wedding will take place at Kingdom. He pointed to the tablet on which he saw the news spot while also struggling to keep the pace with his boss.

'There were exactly 15 seconds on Kingdom.' commented the Master CEO in a displeased tone.

'That's because it's a report on Draco Malfoy's wedding, not an advertisement for our Kingdom.

'If it's a wedding I sponsor for an advertisement model for my company, it's a company ad.' the CEO retorted boldly. Lestrange's all-knowing attitude was starting to get on the Master's nerves. 'Glean as much publicity as we paid for.'

Draco Malfoy was one hell of a male model, a whining brat who got the job on behalf of his father's connections, but what to do, when he had a decent popularity?! Sales were actually increasing when the sleek blond-head plastered his face on the Kingdom's walls.

'We'll get ten times as much. Speaking of which, there's been a problem.' Rodolphus nodded to Blaise Zabini, the manager assistant for Ginny Weasley.

The handsome Italian manager handed the CEO a picture.

'What is this?' the CEO asked.

'An anonymous piece of mail' said Zabini. 'It was sent to the wedding hall.'

'This girl... isn't she Ginny Weasley?' the CEO murmured, eyeing speculatively the soccer female star, looking to be in her teenage years. In the picture, she was lovingly held by a male figure. He couldn't see the face of the boyfriend though; it was cut roundly around where the head would have been.

'That's right.' The manager answered.

'If this photo isn't a fake, then Weasley has just found herself a past that will be quite expensive to deal with.' The CEO watched his two companions and flipped the picture through the air. 'This is surely the beginning of a blackmail plot. Make sure to tighten the security.'

~(*)~

Draco Malfoy was sitting in a lavishly decorated armchair, sorting through the photo album detailing his former classmates of the Oxford University.

'Send her an invitation.' he said, pointing to a cute girl in a picture taken at his graduation.

'You must absolutely not send one to him.'

Theodore Nott, his assistant nodded his head.

'Okay.'

'Harry Potter...' He was now at the picture of a cool black-haired boy with green eyes.

'He looks nice' Nott remarked. 'Were you close?'

'We weren't close.' Draco answered back, his head full of bitter remembrance. 'Even still, invite him. I heard he turned to be really strange after he left uni. I want to see what became of him' Draco sneered.

~(*)~

Harry had a terrible week. With the exception of the night in which he met that interesting CEO, he didn't get a wink of sleep. Now he could barely have enough energy to climb all the way to the rooftop of the apartment building.

His lodging was two rooms, renovated in haste, that originally were intended for supplies. The rooms were small and crammed but there also was the rest of the rooftop which offered a bit of space for Harry to make it into a terrace.

And most importantly, his living place wasn't in the way of ghosts.

People usually died on the streets and if not, in their homes, so Harry's rooms, were his hiding zone. He still had some old ghost acquaintances that followed him to his home too and sometimes didn't let him sleep but they were friendlier than the desperate ones that met him for the first time.

'My goodness!' Harry exclaimed, almost loosing his balance on the steep stairs he was climbing to his apartment. Right in front of him there were Colin and Denis Creevey, two brothers that were alone at home, most of the time. Colin was 8 and Denis was 4 and Harry felt sorry when he saw them.

Even though they were living with their mother, she rarely came home. Harry have caught her several times when she arrived in the dead of the night bringing them some food and leaving quickly.

Harry, knowing how it was to live without parents and people to care for him, tried to help but, being and acting how he was, many rumors circulated around, so people avoided him.

The Creevey brothers offered him an unsure and awkward greeting, handing him two canned food jars.

'Just that...if you just open the can, we can eat on our own.' The bigger one said hesitantly. 'We couldn't find anyone here out yet...'  _So we_   _have no choice but to wait for you_  was what they didn't say.

Harry saw it as the perfect chance to help somebody and help himself also, by interacting with them and getting some warmth into his lonely heart.

'Oh no, since I'm eating already, let's just eat together. What about your mom? She didn't come home yesterday either?' Harry inquired, happy to have the brothers following him to his rooftop accommodation.

'Mom couldn't come because she's busy trying to make money.' Colin answered in a pitiful voice. Harry's chest swelled in sympathy.

'But the lady in the office said you is weird.' Denis said, addressing Harry for the first time. 'She said you're a crazy hobo.' Colin poked his younger brother with an anxious expression.

Harry smirked and prepared the table for all of them. The children settled down quietly once they saw abundant food at their disposal.

'It's because after a big accident in the past, I became a little different from other people.' The young man explained, sighing. He uncorked their tuna fish and added that on their plates as well. 'Even so, I tried to live normally, going to work and everything.'

Harry frowned, recalling some of his most embarrassing and disappointing moments of his life. When, right after he woke up from his coma and found out he could really see ghosts, he realized he couldn't keep a normal job either.

Once, he had managed to get a job of assistant, something like a secretary for a main manager. He was asked to bring the coffee inside for a meeting between an important CEO and his employer. Harry had just been pouring the coffee in two cups when, suddenly, a scary ghost appeared right near the anticipated financier. Instinctively, he had thrown the burning coffee at the gruesome ghost. Unfortunately, the ghost didn't disappear and wasn't even slightly affected but the financier had been very close for suing Harry who had so boldly and out of the blue bathed him in scalding coffee. His employer had fired him in an instant and didn't pay Harry at all.

'But so many scary people found me even at work, but even still, there were some guys who were after me.' Harry continued.

Now he remembered the time when he was cleaning in a bar and a blond young guy hit on him. Harry had wanted more to talk with somebody yet Zacharias Smith, because that was his name, bewitched Harry to go out in a date and make out. While they were sitting on a bench, Smith had wanted to kiss Harry, but just then, from behind Smith appeared the head of a raisin-like ghost with abnormal deformed eyes. One eye was  _huge_  like a ball, while the other one was so small Harry didn't even see, being focused on the gruesome big one. Instead of the first kiss, Smith had got himself a boot in his face.

'Oh my!' Harry murmured, picking at his food. 'But the scary apparitions kept getting in the way.' The children were captivated by Harry's story, as if they were being told a horror tale.

'But somehow I tried to live and search different jobs. Because I don't know when those scary people will meet my eyes or follow me, I'm always scared. It's difficult to keep going with my head held high. I wish there were at least one place in this world where I could run away and hide.' Harry finished his eyes sad.

'Get a man.' The little Denis said out of the blue.

'My mom said that she's seeing a man because she's tired and lonely. You should do that, too.'

Harry raised his eyebrows. So that's why their mother was coming home so rarely.

'A man?' he wondered how they came to the conclusion he would need a man, instead of a girl. Were there so many rumors on him that people even thought he was gay? Right, he was, but Harry never acted on it so they couldn't have known. So...how? It wasn't written on his face, no?

A recent memory came to the forefront of his eyes, clouding all his senses and making him feel an intense yearning. That CEO, when Harry had embraced suddenly in the parking, before he was vehemently pushed away... Harry had tingled all over and ghosts were disappearing in instants from his visual field. That man was a  _very_  effective hideout from ghosts.

'Will that man see me?' he inwardly asked himself. He longed to see that man again. A plan was beginning to form into Harry's mind.

~(*)~

The desperate plan Harry had hatched for hours in his empty apartment was to go shopping at Kingdom. Not to shop, obviously, he was quite short on the money. He wanted to catch a glimpse of the CEO, and just be around him. He hoped that being in the proximity of the man, he will be able to rest a little bit. He actually had a friend, Neville Longbottom, who was a waiter at the Starbucks. He might go there and get a wink of sleep.

Neville was the only friend with whom Harry had been in touch. He even knew about the ghosts, though he was a little afraid when Harry talked about them.

He walked through the glamorous halls of Kingdom, feeling a bit ill at ease. He should have dressed better if he planned to mix well with the richer customers that preferred Kingdom. Now, Harry was stared at, his long T-shirt flowing like a robe around his slender body.

Many ghosts were around too, stuck to the backs of different people who were unaware of the spiritual baggage they were carrying. From the main big hall, which was called the Atrium and the second one being the Mezzanine, Harry reached the third and fourth floor. Here, a big hall made of marble in gold and green colors was leading to the CEO's main office residence. The secretary's office anteroom was empty, but the doors leading to the Master CEO office were ajar.

Harry tiptoed near the edge of the big wooden doors. His heart fluttered madly in his chest and he strained his ears. He could hear a woman's voice speaking.

'This man... he was the boyfriend I was with before my fame started and then he abandoned me.' She said in a pained voice. To Harry, it seemed she was speaking about something she'd rather not.

'To think he'd send this even to the wedding hall...' a man's voice added, but it wasn't the Master's CEO voice, nor it was the Secretary's.

'Please be careful that it doesn't get leaked to the press. This man here is malicious.'

'If it's malicious, you should cut it off. Why do you seem you want to still care about him?' Harry shivered.

That had been the Master's voice, he was sure! Creeping closer, he stole a glance in the large room. They were sitting around a conference table, a woman with red hair whom Harry recognized as a famous soccer player, the one who was going to marry his former university classmate, Draco Malfoy.

Before the accident, Harry had been the cool and loved one in his Oxford class while Draco was a mousey jealous douchebag. Only, Harry got in plane crash, lost his parents, spent three years in a coma and was totally pathetic, living as a ghost. He hoped he wouldn't meet Draco, who was now a successful model for Kingdom.

'I don't care' she denied. 'The hate for the man who abandoned me became fuel for me to keep going.' The woman continued. Harry stole another glance inside.

The CEO was dressed in an impeccable suit and was giving the woman one of his scrutinizing hard stares.

'If you kept going for  _him_  to see, and if you're marrying for him to see, then that man will probably come to the wedding.'

'Please pay close attention to security.' instructed a man sitting at the left side of the woman. On her right, there was another man but nobody made any eye contact or engaged that person in conversation.

'The additional charge for paying extra attention will be added to your bill.' The CEO stated, with a gesture in the Zabini's direction.

Harry smiled, admiring the Master's confident attitude. It looked like the CEO was not missing any material opportunities. For being so young, (he didn't look to be more than 30 years old) the CEO either had a lot of life experience, either he was remarkably smart.

'This marriage is a hot issue even abroad.' The blond-haired Secretary contributed.

'On the day of the wedding, reporters from many countries will be present.' There will be worldwide publicity and, through this event, Kingdom will become a landmark of English tourism. Especially, if we can attract European tourists by word of mouth from European fans, Kingdom's profits will skyrocket.'

Lucius Malfoy was Draco Malfoy's father, but Harry doubted Draco mentioned him at home. Probably just in passing, to tell his father that  _Potter_  dropped out of college.

Harry inched his nose closer to the door to peek inside when, suddenly, the man who was sitting ignored from the others was right in front of him. And he was a  _ghost_. A dead man, clothed in a groom suit. Half of his young face was black and faded, as if something had eaten it up.

Harry screamed and stumbled, falling on his back, his white robe riding high on his ripped jeans. From the next room Harry could hear the others sitting up and inquiring what happened. He sneaked from the fourth hall before they could come out and see him. Unfortunately, the male groom was still at his heels.

'Who are you?' Harry whispered when he finally reached the elevators. He hid after some drawers while he waited. Two security guards just passed and looked in his direction. They could only see somebody speaking by himself, though.

The ghost's name was Michael Corner and he wanted Harry to relay to his former intended, Ginny Weasley that he had died. It seemed she didn't know.

'So I just have to tell that soccer player about that you died? You're sure you want to?' 'You could destroy her wedding by telling her now...'Harry advised, not wanting just to escape this new ghost assignment when there was the risk of destroying other people's lives. .

Low voices attracted Harry's attention to the newcomers. It appeared that the meeting about the sponsored wedding finally ended and Ginny Weasley and her manager made their way to the elevators.

'We might be able to talk if we rode the elevator together.' Harry murmured.

He barely managed to call 'Miss Weasley! Wait a minute! 'when he was abruptly yanked by his hair. Cringing, his eyes stinging in pain, Harry turned around to see who his aggressor was only to freeze. It was  _him_! The Master CEO. A shy smile bloomed on Harry's face.

The CEO only scowled harder, shaking Harry by his bangs as if he was shaking a sodden kitten.

'What are you? Who are you?' he demanded, looking Harry over with a glowering stare.

'It's me.' Harry managed to say.

The CEO halted, his eyes widening when he finally got a good view at Harry's face, hidden before by his black hair.

Harry blew some hair from his mouth and the Master CEO's hand tightened more hair. Harry whimpered a bit.

The security guards came around the corner.

'What's going on?'

The CEO threw Harry one last glance and he threw him right into the guards, who caught him.

'It's a suspicious person. Send him out.' he ordered, turning his back on them and preparing to leave.

'Mr. CEO, it's me!  _Mr. CEO_!' Harry yelled after him desperately. Struggling with the guards who caught hold of his wrists, he went on.

'Ah, wait a minute! We met on a rainy day!' The CEO strolled away.

'That day you were upset because I touched you. Don't you remember?' Harry pleaded. The Master CEO halted in his sauntering walk.

' _We even had that tingly moment in the car!'_

The two guards let go of his wrists, their jaws open in surprise.

'I even left my clothes that day. You remember, don't you?' well, not  _all_  his clothes, he just forgot the rain cloak. The Master finally turned around to fix Harry with angry glare that made him look terribly threatening.

Sending the guards away, the CEO dragged Harry inside a closed boutique. Around, there were many storage boxes and mannequins.

'What do you want?' the CEO asked, letting go completely of Harry.

'I came to meet you, but I happened upon a reason to see Ginny Weasley' Harry revealed, looking at his worn out shoes.

'You have to meet the CEO  _and_  you have to meet the star. You must be very busy.' he remarked in a sarcastic voice.

'I'm no going to meet Ginny Weasley because I want to.' Harry added carefully. 'The one who's special to me is  _you_.' He pointed to the Master's chest but the other one quickly took a step back. 'If you're around me, I don't have to meet that person.' Harry finished in an exhausted sigh.

'Are you a sly  _hoodwink_  who latches onto one encounter after the other?'

Harry pursed his lips at the harsh comment.

'Or are you a crazy youngster who's supposed to stay at home, but escapes from time to time?' the Master's voice raised in volume, seeming to get quite angry. 'If it's the former, I'll call a police car for you. If it's the latter, I'll call an ambulance. What kind of car do you want to go home in? HUH?!'

Harry took on a guarded stance, trembling slightly.

'I've ridden in a police car, and an ambulance a few times, too. But I don't want to ride in either of them again.' he admitted nervously in whispered words.

The CEO raised his eyebrows, staring at Harry intently.

Rubbing his nose in acceptance, he said to the younger man:

'Then,  _go._  Quietly. If you keep sticking around, you'll get to see a rougher method of being thrown out.'

'Sticking around troublesomely is really something to hate, isn't it?' Harry said in a resigned voice. 'You just make eye contact once, but they creepily follow you. And they keep asking favors that have nothing to do with me. I know since I didn't like meeting those people, too. I'll leave.' He gave the CEO one last glance, disappointed that his life seemed so totally ruined. He shuffled back to the elevators, his large t-shirt flowing after him in an eerie way.

The CEO frowned long and hard after the young man left.

~(*)~

'The Slytherin Lord is in Portugal now.'

Her younger husband, Rodolphus, hummed in thought, eyeing up his beautiful wife, Bellatrix Lestrange. She was always insanely jealous and not few times she had suspected him of cheating. They were eating together in a refined restaurant which reserved this time only for the both of them.

'His girl is even younger this time.' he remarked upon seeing the picture from his wife's smartphone. 'She's pretty though.' Bellatrix scowled at the picture of the blonde haired girl latched onto Salazar Slytherin, who was a tycoon in car industry and their CEO's uncle.

'I guess CEO Riddle doesn't resemble him very much seeing as he doesn't have very many women around...'

'I wonder if he doesn't have any because the ghost of that boy who died has latched onto him.' added Rodolphus with a cruel smirk. Bellatrix, one of Tom's trusted, still didn't know her Master's preference. Although, their Master was a really solitary individual...

'I need to take a bigger part and find him a partner.'

Rodolphus shook his head in disapproval.

'It'll be difficult. Haven't you heard that Kingdom's master is caught in the curse of his first love? Every time CEO Riddle's marriage is discussed, the woman's family falls into ruin, gets injured, or arrested. Word's out that all that's because of the curse, so it'll be difficult to have a regular marriage.'

No, it wasn't quite like that. Those were Master's Riddle plots; to fool other bankers by making them believe he was soon to align his businesses with other big moguls.

'What do you mean curse?' Bellatrix's black eyebrows frowned until they were a singular line.'

'No, you're right. The employees just have big mouths and that's what the rumors say, that the CEO doesn't commit anymore because of his first love.' Now he had to be careful and not mention the boy, let's distract her somehow... 'It's because of his personality he has no girlfriend.' Here, that was  _good_.

'He's never called me one of his  _trusted_.' he disclosed.

Bellatrix scoffed and went back to picking her food.

That's...because you're so young, Dear.'

~(*)~

'This is the best room we have.' Promised the building administrator pointing to the 404 room, recently cleaned by Harry Potter.

The bushy-haired woman nodded, looking pleased at her new accommodation..

'If you go to the roof top, you can do your laundry and exercise. The view's great too!' recommended the administrator.

Hermione Granger, the newcomer in town, graduated from the best kind of police security academy and she had been appointed as the Team Leader of the Security Office of Kingdom. What they didn't know and the CEO shouldn't ever find out, was that she was a spy for a very important person.

Knowing it's best for one's survival to get acquainted with the environment and explore all the exits and entrances, she set out to the rooftop.

Which was quite a mess. Near the edge of the tall building there were numerous flower pots and she wondered who was taking care of them. Also, the place looked lived in, personalized by somebody who was coming here regularly. Sheets were drying in the sun and flowing in the wind.

There was also a small like house and she wondered if somebody lived in that place.

That's when she saw a strange figure curled in a gothic like armchair.

Hermione tiptoed to get a closer look. It seemed, the person in the armchair was muttering something. He was a young man, probably around her age. Green eyes opened and he promptly screamed, leaping from his armchair.

'Go away!'

Hermione was bewildered by the young man's apparent distress that she stumbled as well and fell on her ass, the sheets falling on top of her already disheveled hair.

'Are you a person?' the green-eyed young man asked in a calmer voice, his eyes peeking at her from behind the upturned armchair.

'Yes.' She responded automatically, finally removing the twisted sheets and placing them back.

'You're a person.' Harry breathed out, obviously relieved. 'Oh, you're staying in room 404. Since the grandmother left, you'll be able to sleep well.'

'There was a grandmother living in that room?'

'She wasn't living there, she was just there.' Harry said, knowing again that he spoke upon his ghostly unconfirmed information. 'I'm a night manager at this place, so if you need anything, let me know.'

'Also, I'm sorry if I scared you earlier, I thought you weren't a person.' Harry added, with an unsure smile in her direction.

Hermione smiled brightly back.

'I didn't think you were a person either. I thought you were a cat. Happy and sleeping peacefully in the sun, like a cat.'

Harry laughed.

~(*)~

It was nice, speaking with living people again. Since he rode in that Master Riddle's car, his life seemed to improve in many aspects.

Currently, Harry was again on his ghost assignment. That ex-boyfriend of Ginny Weasley was a real pest. Because of him, Harry barely slept last night and now he had to find a way to speak with the soccer player and tell her about Michael, and that he had died so to stop searching for him in vain.

It was a wretched situation, and most ghosts were not leaving the earth because of circumstances like these.

But Harry had a plan too. He was now in the underground parking of Kingdom. At this hour, Harry found out from Neville, the Master CEO and most shop owners were leaving home. Though, the CEO seemed to take his time.

Harry waited one more hour until he spotted a long blond-haired man, coming down from the elevators and unlocking the Master's car. Finally! Harry ran after him and stopped him.

'You scared me, young man.' The Secretary exclaimed, bewildered to see Harry again.

'I have a favor to ask. By any chance, will the CEO be meeting Ginny Weasley?'

'As far as I know, they are scheduled to meet today. But I can't take you.' Lucius Malfoy responded, eyeing Harry curiously.

'I guess you can't, huh?' Then...perhaps can you give this to Ginny Weasley?' Harry asked, handing the Secretary a white envelope. 'When she sees this, she'll come to meet me.'

Distinctive steps echoed in the wide parking and they both turned to see the imposing figure of the CEO making his way towards them.

Secretary Malfoy quickly snatched the envelope and made a sign to leave to Harry, who had to hide behind the CEO's car and from there he ran until he was out in the sun.

He dragged his feet to a nearby park that belonged to Kingdom. Spotting an older tree with a generous trunk, Harry slid off and closed his eyes. He was so tired and it was so peaceful here, the wind bringing his hair over his eyes and tickling his skin.

'I'm so sleepy I could die. I wish this would end quickly, so I could sleep.' Harry murmured to Michael Corner, who was now staring in the Kingdom's direction. 'Ah, she must be inside, that's why he's looking there'. Harry let his head fall down on his arms when he was startled out of his mind by a stern high voice.

'Look at what?'

Harry's eyed widened upon seeing the CEO standing right in front of him, scowling and holding the contents of the envelope. He must have snatched it from Malfoy. He rose up quickly and faced the CEO determinedly.

'I thought he was a nice guy.' Harry murmured to himself.

'What is this?' the Master demanded in the same harsh attitude.

' _I'll wait beneath the tree at Sky Park's central plaza. There are many things you should know_.'Riddle read from the letter that was supposed to make its way to Ginny. Harry had to work two hours on the portrait of Michael Corner, and write that message too.

'Who is this face? Is this man, perhaps, Michael Corner?'

'How do you know Michael Corner?' Harry inquired too with a confused frown. Maybe Ginny  _did_  know her ex boyfriend was dead?

'He's the man who has been threatening Ginny Weasley' the CEO answered, scanning Harry's blank face for clues.

Harry raised an eyebrow.

'What do you mean threatening? That's not it.' he said in a certain tone.

'Where is this man?' the CEO added, looking around the park as if Michael Corner was going to make an apparition just then.' Harry glanced around but he couldn't see the ghost anywhere.

'He isn't here right now.' He stated.

'Where did he go?'

Harry pursed his lips, contemplating.

'He... died.' Harry confessed, lowering his gaze to the ground in a sad way.

'He died?' repeated the austere CEO.

Silence. Harry didn't know there was somebody threatening them.

The Master CEO reached the next logical explanation and he growled.

'Then  _you_  are the one threatening us?'

Harry shook his head in denial.

'No! I just wanted to relay his feelings. The whole time, he had wanted to protect and encourage her, is what he said. So she must know how he really feels.'

'Please give this to Ginny Weasley.' Harry implored.

The CEO sneered and tore off the whole letter.

'You can't.!' exclaimed Harry distressed. Oh,  _this man_  was really bad!

'If he's dead, that's the end.' Stated the CEO. His stance told Harry that the older man was inflexible on the matter. 'Don't bother a living person.'

~(*)~

Harry was trudging his way back home, feeling miserable the more he walked and avoided various ghosts.

' _Don't bother a living person.'_ Incredible piece of advice, Harry mused, to be able to live like this.

'Yeah.' He muttered, crossing the zebra, his eyes downcast. 'I'm going around doing useless things. What's so important about what the dead have to say? No one ever even listens. People treat me like a crazy person because of ghosts.' One of them just then decided to bump into his shoulder. He exploded. 'Just leave me alone so I can live!'

People around Harry gave him a wide berth and he sighed. He reached his rooms on the rooftop in a gloomy mood. What was waiting for him was an invitation to Draco Malfoy's wedding.

'Wow. I got the occasion to meet Ginny Weasley thanks to Malfoy.' He pulled at his hair and fixed Michael Corner who just appeared in his room. ' _I don't want to meet Draco Malfoy_!' Harry yelled at his new housemate. 'Just leave me alone and let me sleep!'

~(*)~

'Are you sure you were being blackmailed by Michael Corner?' The CEO asked the depressed soccer player. They were having a dinner and last meeting before the wedding. Draco Malfoy just found out about Ginny's ex-boyfriend and of course he wasn't very pleased with his future wife. Instead of the excitement attributed to a wedding, something dark flew in and stole all the happiness.

'I think you're mistaken.' Tom had a very good instinct. That was how he survived in the world of predators. Looking at people's faces, straight in their eyes, he felt as if he could read their minds. And his instinct told him there was a sliver of truth in what the strange boy told him that day.

'No, I'm sure it's him' she responded, her visage the epitome of sulkiness that Tom wondered how anyone would want to marry her. .

The CEO still fixed her. He could see he was making her uncomfortable.

Was it because she was hiding something? Maybe she was unsure of the wedding? She still held feelings for her ex?

Or, was it because the CEO was handsome and fit and she was discomfited to feel attracted by him while in the same room with her intended groom  _and_  his parents present as well?

'I caught a glimpse of him loitering around the office.' Blaise Zabini, her manager claimed out of the blue.

 _Really_... Master's doubts were confirmed at last.

'You saw it personally?'

'I'll stop him so don't get so worked up.' Zabini patted her back but it seemed she was even more distressed by his assurance.

'I'll stick with you and everything will be solved.'

'I loved him, so I don't know why he's doing this to me.' she covered her red face with her hands and began to weep.

'Probably for money.' Draco gritted through his teeth. 'Is there anything a living person wants aside from money?'

'You shouldn't be afraid of the blackmailer Ginny, we have lots of money. We'll just give him what he wants and ask to leave us alone.'

'I'm... afraid of how he feels.' Ginny managed to say.

'Why fear the feelings you can't see? You should be scared of the people you can see.' Tom said, fishing a shrimp from his salad. 'Anyway, I think you are going to do well.' He finished, eating his shrimp with a satisfied hum. He  _so_  enjoyed to solve mysteries.

~(*)~

'Today is not Draco Malfoy's wedding day, but the day we make Kingdom's advertisement.' the Master preached to his team of managers.

'We've positioned the Kingdom logo so when photographing the bride and groom, there's no avoiding it.' Rodolphus hurried to put in.

'Even if they can see just one, hang a large one so everyone can see clearly. Make it as BIG as the money we put in.'

'Big!' the CEO emphasized, opening his arms wide.

'Yes, big!' Rodolphus copied.

They were just descending the big stairs when Tom caught the glimpse of an unruly black-haired boy.

'That young man even came here.' the CEO said, catching Lucius's eyes and nodding to the strange boy.

'Why is he so keen on meeting Miss Weasley?' asked the Secretary who happened to be also Draco Malfoy's father.

'Something about relaying a dead person's feelings.' The CEO's lips tightened.

'Get security to take care of him so he doesn't get in the way.' He ordered in the end. He couldn't have the strange boy interfering with his big event.

'Yes.' Crabbe and Goyle instantly relayed to the new Chief Security, speaking in their phones 'Team Leader, the guest in the fourth camera from A-Block, we have orders to follow that guest.'

Hermione Granger, the new Team Leader zoomed on her CCTV view of the respective room.

'The cat?' she whispered, seeing the night manager of her apartment building heading towards the bride room.

'Susan', follow the young man dressed in jeans and the white shirt. He's carrying a folder and he's heading in the restricted section only for the guests of the wedding.

Orders were orders. She hoped Harry won't do anything bad. He seemed a little suspicious, when they first met but she changed her mind after speaking with him.

Hermione watched on the camera the security questioning him for being in the restricted area.

'Team Leader' Susan's voice sounded in her earphone. 'He's on the guest list. His name is Harry Potter and he has been specifically invited by Draco Malfoy. They were colleagues in the Oxford University'.

Hermione smiled.

'Let him pass then.'

'Is he on the guest list? Did you check?' Secretary Malfoy's voice also called from the phone.

'Yes. He was in the same class with your son. His name is Harry Potter' Hermione supplied.

'Harry Potter? Thank you, Miss Granger.' I'll make sure to relay the information to our CEO.' concluded Malfoy.

~(*)~

Harry barely avoided his former classmates. They were rich people now, or important people and they would gloat at him if they were to see him in his current state.

He wasn't even going to congratulate the groom. All he wanted was to find Ginny Weasley and then go home and sleep. Reaching two big wooden doors and catching sight of a white-clad figure, he quickly went inside, glad the bride was alone in the room.

'Excuse me.'

The read head soccer player quickly turned around and watched him curiously.

'Who are you?'

'This.. Harry handed her the white folder he had carried until here. Inside, there were pictures that Michael Corner indicated to take from his house and the hospital records that also included the death circumstances.

Ginny saw the first pictures of her and her ex and exploded.

'Why do you have this? The person threatening me was  _you_? What about Michael? Where is Michael?' she looked desperately around as if her past boyfriend was going to spring from a hiding place.

But Michael Corner was right in front of her, watching her despondently.

'He must have come with you. Where is he? So you blackmail me with this and what, do you want money? Fine. I'll give you that money. Where is he?!'

Harry decided that putting an end to the drama was the best course of action.

'Michael...passed away.' He nodded to the hospital documents that Ginny still held.

' _What_?' the bride paled.

'He was already sick when you left him to go in America. He hurt very much until he died. But you were so frighteningly mistaken. So I came to tell you Michael's true feelings.'

Ginny trembled from all her bones. She plopped down on top of a table and took out the pictures and the hospital registry.

Harry felt sorry for her too.

'Michael had wanted to break up with you because he found out he had terminal cancer' Harry continued in a grave voice. 'But you got so upset and left to America to play soccer so you never knew. He didn't tell you because he wanted you to succeed in your matches.'

Ginny began to sob.

Harry inclined his head and slipped quietly out of the room. Just before closing the door, he saw Michael Corner's ghost finally ascending and disappearing into white smoke...

~(*)~

'Why isn't Ginny coming?' Narcissa asked her manager, Blaise Zabini.

'What about Ginny?' Draco inquired. He's finally had enough and he left the room in which he was supposed to wait, together with his father and the CEO.

'Mr. Malfoy, Ginny has disappeared.'

'What?'

'The reporters said she went outside crying.' The manager continued in a worried tone.

'Ah! That blackmailer must have shown up.' The Master said, making his appearance suddenly into their midst.

'There's no way he could show up.' Zabini butted in to contradict the CEO. 'He definitely died...' All eyed turned to the manager.

'Ah...that's not what I meant.' Blaise Zabini retracted his words rapidly under the suspicious eyes of the family and everybody else.

'I knew you were the blackmailer.' Stated the CEO. 'If you went that far to keep Ginny close by you, you should have done a better job. 'Pointing a finger in Zabini's face, he threatened. ' _You_. If you ruin my event, I'll show you what a real blackmailing is.'

'But...' whatever Zabini wanted to say next, he was interrupted by the bride's sudden appearance.

'I...' she uttered, addressing them all and wringing her hands nervously.

'I know its rash, but I want to keep playing soccer. The man inside my heart keeps encouraging me to. I will compensate for the damages. I'm sorry Draco' she said to Draco, who scoffed incredulously but didn't seem too upset.

'Whatever'. With a glance in his father's direction, he muttered. 'It was your idea anyway, I never wanted to marry so young'.

Narcissa interrupted in an anxious attempt.

'What do you mean, Draco, you're already 24!'

'As the dead lingers around, the living person suffers in the end' The CEO sneered.  _That_  boy was surely a bad omen. He surely was, because he was still pestering the Master's thoughts. . Cringing at the thought of his lost money, not only for the ruined event but also, the bad publicity that will surely spring as a result of this fiasco, the CEO turned his back on the scene.

'Ah. Master CEO!' Ginny Weasley called him. 'Harry Potter asked me to tell you something.'

The CEO turned to face the Weasley girl curiously at the mention of the name.

'Yes?'

'He said that the dead have no power, but their  _hearts_  remain.'

The CEO remained standing there watching her stonily.

'He also said that there's such a heart by your side as well. Mr.  _Riddle_ , do you also have someone in your heart, that is dead and you cannot forget?'

The managers and the Secretary Malfoy gaped at her and waited in anticipation at the scene that was going to happen. Their Master was never reacting well to personal questions of this kind.

Something dark seemed to take over the CEO.

He calmly headed for the girl and made use of his height to tower over her menacingly...

'At your age, and with your unsavory reputation, it won't be easy to return to playing in the big leagues.' The CEO remarked. 'You will come to repeatedly regret this moment.'

'That could happen.' Ginny retorted, not appeared stung by the comment at all.

' _That_  is what will happen.' The Master assured her, his eyes drilling into hers. 'I'm going to enjoy watching you fail in every match. Watching soccer's about to become much more enjoyable' the CEO added.

'Are you cursing me?'

'Yes. You can go.' the Master CEO answered back, with a last cruel smirk in her dejected appearance.

~(*)~

_12 years ago_

_Police cars chased after an old car that kept the thief and his hostage, a 17 year's old orphaned boy and Tom Riddle's friend. His name was Regulus Black. The thief captured the two high school boys and asked Salazar Slytherin, who was Riddle's very rich uncle and his sole caretaker for a gold family locket with emeralds which valued more than one million dollars. The Slytherin Lord had given the ransom but only his heir was released. The thief took Regulus with him in the car and while they were chased by the police, the car slid off the track and collided hard with the parapet. The thief managed to escape and vanish. They still haven't found him and the arrest warrant was expiring soon. When police officers arrived with a frantic Tom Riddle in tow, the Volkswagen was beginning to smoke. Tom tried to take out Regulus, who was still caught inside but the police officers grabbed him and kept him away. Regulus offered him one last, resigned smile before he was swallowed by the flames as the car exploded._

~(*)~

The CEO watched in distaste the big apartment building. It was already night and it had been a stressful day but he had one more thing to understand before his mind could rest.

'He's living on the  _rooftop_?' he asked the Secretary to make sure.

'Yes, Master CEO'.

Tom nodded and strode inside the building. He took the elevators and then the stairs from the last floors to go to the top floor. There, he found the laundry zone. A young man was dozing off with his feet in a tub. It seemed he had intended to wash his clothes with his feet but he had fallen asleep before he could finish.

'Please, no one come to me today.' The boy pleaded, his eyes still troubled behind his closed eyelids.

Was he having nightmares?

'I'm so tired to death! I wish I could run away somewhere and sleep peacefully' the boy complained, his head lolling from side to side.

'Don't come.' He patted the air as if he was being assaulted by the flies. And still, seemingly asleep. He didn't wake up also when the CEO came closer to him.

'Go away.'

'Harry Potter' the Master called.

No answer. The young man was still being troubled in his own world.

' _Harry Potter!_ '

He waited three more seconds until he'd had enough. Grabbing the slender boy, he picked him up and left him standing but he realized the boy would just fall down again if he didn't support him up.

' _You_! What are you saying is next to me?' the CEO asked, shaking Harry until he could see him slowly opening his eyes.

'What do you see beside me?'

Harry woke up slowly and realized who was holding him. Was this real?

'I'm so sleepy!' he complained, because he was so tired he couldn't even guess if he was awake or asleep. Though, he was sure the tall CEO from this dream had that same calming presence he remembered.

' _Tell me_. What is it that's beside me?' Tom asked in a rough tone.

'I want to sleep next to you.' Harry said and promptly fell on the Master's shoulder.

Tom struggled in the embrace, too surprised to speak for a few moments.

'What are you?' he persisted to wake Harry up.

Harry tightened his arms around the Master's CEO lean body.

'I really want to  _sleep_.' the boy moaned pitifully.

'Come to your senses, and open your eyes!' Tom slapped lightly the boy's curvy cheek and tried to escape his clutches.

'Let's go to sleep together.' The young man murmured, his nose burrowed in his neck, nuzzling his sensitive skin.

' _What_?' Tom looked at the sleepy disheveled boy from up to down. 'You want to sleep with me? In this state, you are saying you want to sleep with me?'

'Let's go to sleep. With you, I can sleep.' Whined Harry still half awake, struggling to embrace the man again.

'Well, I can't sleep with you. Only in your dreams.' repeated the CEO in a clear strong voice.

'You...by touching, hugging and making a fuss, do you think I'll fall for you?'

He yanked Harry by his hair and threw him hard against the wooden bench on which he'd been dozing on before. He smelled his hand and grimaced.

' _When did you last wash your hair?_ ' the CEO yelled and took out a handkerchief to clean his fingers.

'If you are going to seduce someone, at least wash your hair!'

'It's not like you are going to sleep with me...' Harry muttered, finally awake.

The shock of being thrown against the bench finally woke him up and he realized belatedly how he had acted in front of the CEO.  _Gosh_...he closed his eyes tight but the image was burned to his eyelids!

'Why are you here?' Harry asked curiously, looking around and surprised to see the Master CEO coming to see him at his home in this time of night.

'I heard you were talking about my past. Where and what did you hear?' the Master inquired in a more normal tone. 'Or do you really...know something about that boy?'

'You...talked with Ginny?'

'Did you know Regulus?'

'That boy's name is Regulus?' Harry nodded by himself.

'Then how do you know him?' asked the CEO confusedly.

'I saw him. That boy, I saw him.' Replied Harry with a yawn.

' _What_? Are you not fully awake? That boy is...'

'He's dead, right?'

Tom watched the young man with an impassive face.

'Regulus died a long time ago. So then when and how did you see him?'

It was possible that the boy could have found out from his associates which might have gossiped about his past but what he wanted to find out was if Harry was related, or...an eyewitness to that incident. The answer he'd got, completely baffled him again.

'I' Harry began, in an unsure voice 'a while ago, I saw that boy while he was next to you.'

The CEO narrowed his eyes threateningly.

'I...can see dead people' Harry finally managed to say.

_**AN**. Well, it took quite a lot of time to write it, I was really surprised because I already know the plot and everything. I guess proofreading ate a lot of my time but what to do...and even so, I'm sure there are some mistakes left. Aigoo (the Korean way of complaining about something)_

_Has anybody watched Master's Sun and is still reading this story? Ah, by the way, the cover pic of the fic is the Master CEO from the drama XD. So you've seen him now and you can sympathize with me because he's so totally handsome! He really looks like Tom Riddle, and like Paroxysms said in her review, Tom here is like a sociopath in the capitalist world. He could be, I so love how eternal HP characters are._

_Thank you all for reading!_

_hopefully, you liked this chapter as well._


	3. The CEO and the Janitor

**MASTER'S SUN**

**Chapter Three**

_The Mezzanine Dining Hall – Staff Dinner_

'Master's first love is a ghost, did you know?' Seamus said loudly to Hermione, trying to impress the dignified new Team Leader with some significant gossip about their boss. 'Everybody knows that at Kingdom. Our CEO, The Master, is so into his old first love, who died a long time ago, that he hasn't even married yet. Whenever he was about to marry someone, the dead boy appeared and the marriage fell off.'

Hermione kept silent. This was the kind of situation when her new colleagues had the chance to boast their tattletales, even though it was supposed to be the welcoming party for her acceptance as Team Leader. However, they were useful, but all this talk about dead people while they were eating was making her slightly queasy.

'Are you perhaps talking about the school boy who died in the case where CEO Riddle was involved?' Susan piped in from her right.

The blonde haired woman was very likeable, with her curly blond ringlets and friendly demeanor and Hermione actually knew her from high school, although they had been in different classes. But Susan enjoyed gossiping a little too much when she got the chance.

'Oh yeah.' Seamus continued, glad he still kept the focus of all the attention. 'That case was pretty famous. When I was younger, I remember seeing it on the news.'

'That case where the rich family guy and his friend or- was it boyfriend- were both kidnapped.'

'We believe Master Riddle is gay' Susan breathed in Hermione's ear, but the words seemed to echo in the large room. No one seemed to mind.

'That's the one. At that time, they just lost the ransom money and didn't catch the suspects. Right?' Crabbe clarified as well, next to Goyle, two of the security guards.

'If at that time they took $10 million dollars, right now it counts even more!'

'Wow!' Hermione exclaimed. She had studied the case well before coming to Kingdom, but she still had to give the impression that she was flabbergasted by their information.

'The bastards that took that money, they must be living and eating well.' said Seamus as an afterthought, finally starting up again on his plate of spicy chicken.

Hermione munched thoughtfully on her mouthful of sushi.

'But...' she said hesitantly 'do the employees call CEO Riddle, " _The Master_ "?'

Seamus was all too eager to respond, waving a half eaten chicken egg in her direction.

Hermione leaned back in her chair imperceptibly.

'Tom Riddle is the king of Kingdom, right? That is why it's "Master". That rude tyrant.

The Master lives well by playing the CEO, and that boy, who was caught because of him, died. It is very unfair so he became a ghost.' Seamus declared. 'Toooooom! Tooooomy! Please revenge meeee, I want my revenge!'

The others laughed jovially. Not Hermione, she could feel goose bumps itching on her back. Neville Longbottom, the Starbucks waiter was also cringing at her left, his face pale.

'There's a rumor that, being like this, he wanders around Kingdom. I can't sleep because of that.' Seamus confessed in a more quiet tone than the former abrasive one.

'Cheers!'

What a scoundrel, Hermione thought.

~(*)~

_Back to the Rooftop._

_I can see dead people._

This statement battled in his mind but he couldn't – wouldn't comprehend it.

Harry was sitting despondently on the bench, wringing the hem of his t-shirt absently. His hair was falling over his brow, obscuring those green eyes in such a tragic way that the CEO was momentarily mesmerized.

Not because it was something beautiful about the boy- hell no. No.

There was something curious about watching big disasters caught on screen, or watching documentaries about genocide...The same with this boy: if he was instable or something, determining the cause that made him this way was challenging to him.

So he listened.  _For now._

'I once almost died but I woke up. I was in a coma for three years' Harry disclosed quietly.

'And since then, I see dead people.' he finished but his stance was so pitiful and strong of conviction that the CEO could only go along with this admission. He grimaced.

'So...' he started hesitantly 'you're saying that Regulus, who died 13 years ago, you saw him the day before yesterday?'

Harry nodded.

'That day, when you got mad in the park and left, that's when I saw him.' Harry whispered, in his mind replaying the moment where he saw that black-haired young student trailing after Master Riddle, watching him with sad eyes. Harry felt pained himself, as if it was affecting him as well.

He empathized plenty of times with other dead people's grievances, but ... that day it seemed more acute, more personal.

The Master hummed, still directing that intense gaze upon him. And given his impressive build compared to his smaller one, Harry felt very insignificant.

'So you see ghosts?' The CEO asked to make sure with his impassive voice. Harry couldn't make out even a tiny bit if he was being mocked or believed.

'Is there a ghost here, right now? How many?' inquired the CEO, gesturing around the rooftop scalded in moon light.

Tom expected Harry to falter but, to his surprise, Harry quickly sprang up and looked around carefully. It reminded Tom of a cat, surreptitiously making sure there weren't dogs around.

'In that chair... There is no wind blowing, but it's rocking back and forth.'

Tom instantly spotted the antique looking armchair that was rocking back and forth slightly.

'There is a ghost over there' Harry whispered ominously, careful not to attract its attention back on him. The ghost was a student who trailed after him all the time, asking for coffee. Most strange, that one.

The CEO considered Harry silently for any sight of deceit, yet to his consternation, the boy seemed to really believe in whatever he was seeing.

'So in that chair, there's one ghost?' wondered the CEO, his lips curving up in the beginning of an ironical smile that looked pretty evil.

Luckily for Harry, he didn't catch it, or he would have been a hundred's fold more scared than of the ghosts.

'Sometimes, they come looking for me especially after they notice me on the street. I try to ignore them, but they keep following me. Occasionally, they want to talk to me. And sometimes, they even ask for a favour.'

Tom scoffed inwardly because hearing Harry speak about people asking for favours...he had believed there were people asking Harry for well,  _favours_... Never mind they were dead people. Now he was absolutely certain it was  _impossible_  for someone  _alive_  asking any favours of a boy with such an affliction  _who_  was broadcasting it and letting everybody know, and looked like a drowned street rat as well.

Thinking about favours, the CEO remembered that utter-dreadful moment when he first caught Harry eavesdropping in his Kingdom. The guards dragging the boy away only to have this one yell at the top of his lungs: " _We even had that tingly moment in the car_!" Who knew what those guards have been gossiping afterwards. "The Dignified CEO and the Street Rat Romance" probably. His hands itched to strangle the boy's neck but he reined himself in.

'And they hang onto me, not letting me sleep. It is so scary and I don't know why I'm the only one seeing them' Harry continued in what the CEO recognized as the ' _sob-voice'_. He had to endure this.  _Why_?

The Master's continued mask of impassivity urged Harry to get closer to the man until he squeezed his upper arm.

'But when I touch you like this, I neither see nor hear them. It's the first time I meet a person like  _you_ ' Harry whispered, grabbing with his both hands the stiff arm of the impassive Master.

Inwardly, Tom was wondering if there ever was an alternate universe in which he would have enjoyed people to fawn over him like this. Like  _minions_.

'So that is why you are special to me. What must you be to me?'

The CEO breathed a long-suffering sigh and squeezed his eyes shut.

Harry watched breathlessly the handsome, towering dark Master. He had never met such a beautiful person before...

'If I am with you, I can probably sleep well and I think I can live normally. I want to be next to you.'

Harry's claiming of future benefits proved to be too much for the stony faced CEO because he suddenly clawed Harry's hands off and turned him until he could speak straight in his face.

'You want to be next to me so much?' he inquired with a frozen smile. 'Then say this building is yours, and then at least I'll give you a glance, since the land here is expensive.'

With this gritted cruel words he threw Harry away from him and took great care to clean his hands on his suit, visibly ruffled.

Harry wasn't deterred in the least.

'I'm so distressed!' he complained. 'You don't know because you can't see or hear them but it really frightens me.' This quiet admission he made to the CEO was purely because that man, he was his only hope. He could feel it in his bones. His sense of self-esteem practically was nonexistent at this moment.

'I am not scared of things I can't see or hear.' the CEO replied self-assuredly. 'But the thing I see, like  _you_ ' he pointed directly to Harry 'scares me.'

The CEO fixed the boy with his intense eyes until he could feel him melting under his harsh words and hard demeanor. He sighed.

'It's not because I'm filthy rich or extremely handsome, but it's because you're scared of ghosts that you'll cling onto me' he laughed, revealing his teeth into an almost, open smile. 'At least, it's a very  _refreshing_  way of seducing.' he concluded.

Harry shook his head in denial.

'It's desperate clinging.' he added, smiling shyly and patting the CEO on his arm, enjoying the soft texture of the suit under his fingers.

The Master grimaced, his mind supplying him with scenarios of all the germs he was going to get after this night.

'Look, Mr. Potter. Even when that famous Candy (Japanese anime character) was hitting on the rich guy, even if she was lonely and sad, she tied up her hair neatly and hit on him. Wash that smelly hair of yours and stop dreaming' hissed the Master, slapping Harry's hands off contemptuously.

'You look at me like a gold digger who wants to seduce a rich man. Then I'll try that.

Can't I just be your Candy?' Harry asked innocently, battling his eyelashes playfully.

'Do you think that by being a candy-boy, you can seduce me?' he taunted, his eyes sparkling with menacing anger. 'Okay. Then try  _hard_  to seduce me with your ghost friends, you greasy-haired,  _depraved_ , gloomy Candy!'

The CEO breathed hard after his tirade and turned his back on the strange boy. It was past time to leave this place.

'Next time, I will wash my hair!' Harry yelled after him, in good humour. His life was full of absurdity anyway; no wonder he wouldn't mind being a candy-boy.

~(*)~

The CEO covered in long strides the distance to his car. He was blown by the ridiculous situation in which he's been put moments away. That- _that_ \- he shook his head. That-

'Master, did you meet Harry?' His train of oaths was interrupted by his Secretary waiting by the car patiently.

He froze, fixing Malfoy with a death glare and gesturing to the rooftop, many meters away.  _But better to be sure than to catch the street rat eavesdropping on them..._

'Sorry, did you meet Mr. Potter?' his Secretary inquired again not in the least sorry, watching amusedly the scowling face his Master made.

'I shouldn't have come here. Let's go.'

Lucius nodded and took his place in the cockpit. On their way, the Secretary thought he'd noticed the slight bushy-haired Hermione Granger, who was eyeing them with an equally curious expression.

~(*)~

_KINGDOM_

_Part-time Workers Wanted_

Harry couldn't believe his luck! Yesterday he had been feeling tired and downcast after the impromptu talk with the Master so the feeling of nervous excitement in his heart as he was walking the halls of Kingdom was expected. What is completely unexpected was his decision to take on a new job and to be hired so quickly! (even though it was a simple janitor job). Definitely, there were competent people around here, no wonder with such a CEO. Harry sighed wistfully when he thought of his  _hiding place,_  as he began to call him in his mind. He was now on his way to meet his friend, Neville. He was in need of a very strong coffee and another one for his transparent follower too.

He walked confidently in the Starbucks, his smile radiating upon catching sight of his somewhat clumsy friend juggling trays of coffee and chocolate cakes.

Neville Longbottom startled when he saw Harry smiling brightly at him.

'Oh my God! Harry!' he exclaimed. 'It's day time, why aren't you sleeping?' he asked, gesturing Harry to walk to a secluded table.

'I got a job at Kingdom!'

'What?! No way- Harry...it hasn't been long since I've been a manager here... If you get taken by the police and ambulance, then I really can't work here!'

Neville wringed his hands and occupied himself with serving Harry with a tall glass of coffee.

'Neville, it probably won't happen here.' Harry replied with a mysterious and confident smile. 'Because there is something very special here.' The sight of a happy Harry was so shocking that Neville wondered if everything was alright with his friend, because, really, Harry didn't sport any truly happy smiles since... _ages_.

'When you're here, you don't see ghosts?' he asked in an eager whisper.

Harry shook his head, his locks of black unruly hair seeming electrified with renewed energy.

'I know a place to hide where I won't have to see them.' he hummed and grabbed another glass of coffee, sliding it to his left. Neville looked at him pityingly.

'Anyway, why are you drinking two cups of coffee? Is it because you were awake all night instead of sleeping?'

Harry smiled to his left, gazing at something only he could see.

'This ghost kept following me all day because he wanted to drink some coffee, so I bought him one, too.'

Neville's eyes widened warily at the additional empty chair.

'Neville, I'm leaving, okay? Thanks for the coffee; I'm heading to the Personnel Staff room now.'

'Hey, Hey!  _Hey_ , Harry!' Neville cried desperately to Harry's back. He froze in his seat, staring at the coffee for the other ' _guest'_. With terribly shaking hands he managed to grab the innocent full glass and place it back on the tray.

~(*)~

Seamus Finnegan ran quickly to his security partner, Dean Thomas. He had some hot piece of news. Some high school girls took a picture together behind the fountain at Kingdom's Atrium only to notice later after they tagged themselves in that there was a disfigured ghostlike head, behind them.

'That photo was taken here in Kingdom?' said Dean, frowning at the somewhat hazy picture of three high school girls.

'Yes. This picture is all over the internet right now.'

'Isn't this photo just poorly taken?' Dean asked, referring to the gruesome reflection of a disfigured face, standing squeezed between two statues in the fountain. 'You know sometimes when you take the picture the camera shakes and weird objects can appear.'

'No way, all the other girls are fine.'

'If so, then is this really a ghost?'

'If this photo is real, then it's a paranormal photo' Seamus claimed, proud of his deduction.

'A paranormal photo?'

'Absolutely' nodded Seamus. 'Master's Ghost finally made his presence known!'

Dean shook his head. 'It must be a fake.'

'I have a friend who works as a director on a broadcast station. Should I submit it there?'

His friend only gaped at him, horrified. 'Do you want to  _die_?'

~(*)~

_Fourth floor, CEO's Office._

'Because of the wedding, Kingdom's image is already ruined.' Rodolphus stated disapprovingly to his irritated boss.

Said-CEO sighed in his seat.

'Vice-President, aren't you taking care of these things?'

Rodolphus inclined his head. He was standing and being admonished like a child while the Master was idly sitting there, utterly bored. He itched to nettle the man, at least once.

'I already asked the portal sites to erase the image. Anyway because of this photo Kingdom is all over the internet today. "Kingdom Paranormal Photo and Kingdom Ghost..." They say ghosts bring good luck, so the workers are all excited and talking about it.' He laughed rancorously as well.

The CEO laughed with him but his eyes riveted on his subordinate were icily cold.

'Is it funny? You're having fun in this situation?' his tone was deadly. Rodolphus was a  _fool_  for coming here to bother him.

The smile fell from Rodolphus face and he shivered.

'I mean, I am scared of ghosts, but it is fascinating.' Better play stupid, he instantly decided. He may be married to Master's aunt, Bellatrix, but the CEO never changed his severe attitude regarding him.

'Is now the time to joke about ghosts?' inquired the CEO vehemently, standing abruptly from his chair and walking to the golden telescope in front of the large windows.

'In front of our noses, the Giant Mall, that's  _1.5 times_  as big as our Kingdom is rising  _floor_  with  _floor_...' he looked through the telescope, watching the building complex in awe.

' _Albus Dumbledore's_  Giant Mall!' punctuated the CEO with a growling shout, his ire flowing like a cold wind in the spacious office. Rodolphus retreated two steps away from the aggravated man.

'There're only two months left?  _Wow_ , that was built fast' whispered Rodolphus, his piggy eyes going to the door behind him.

'After two months, if you don't want to fail, get a grip on your senses. And tell the employees to bewitch the customers instead of being bewitched by a ghost, so that they'll open their wallets and spend lots of money.'

Rodolphus nodded and quickly headed for the door. Even upon reaching his escape he wasn't spared the raged shout behind him.

'A LOT OF MONEY!'

~(*)~

'The ghost in the picture is said to be who?' asked Bellatrix, scrunching her nose at the smartphone her husband handed her.

'There is a rumor that it is the boy that died because of CEO Riddle.' Rodolphus informed her, inwardly satisfied while they were eating in their restaurant.

His wife scoffed, throwing him back his Samsung Galaxy unceremoniously. 'Rubbish! Who's saying those absurd things?!'

'It's not me! It's the employees!' he defended. The case was so famous that everybody knows about it and that is why that ghost is said to be next to him.'

'It was a long time ago that Regulus died. And I can't remember his face.' She referred to the disfigured head from the picture that was hanging above the statues in the fountain.

'Well, seeing as how old you are now, it's about the time where people start losing their memories...'

Bellatrix fixed his suddenly sheepish husband with a death glare.

Rodolphus swallowed hard. That chilling glare must run in the family.

~(*)~

The CEO was in a dark mood. His black humour was seeping in such waves that all the employees were giving him a wide berth and they were minding their business with sudden interest.

Secretary Malfoy could barely keep the pace behind his enraged Master.

'Is that poltergeist picture still being talked about?' queried the CEO, pointing to the innocent-looking fountain with the four statues from the Atrium.

'I think the Vice-President is trying to take care of it' the blonde man said patiently. 'But these kinds of things are hard to settle .And more people are adding on absurd rumors'.

Riddle frowned.

'What kind of rumors?'

'Well, you see...they say that in the picture is the ghost of Regulus...'

The Secretary instantly regretted his words. Master's mood darkened even more.

'This is such an expensive fountain. I spent tons of money to put four goddesses up there. How can a ghost be more beautiful than a goddess?'

They were walking round the fountain, the CEO looking unhappy. He could practically feel how the people would take his Kingdom in derision after this latest prank that managed to also spotlight his past. An unruly black-haired janitor was cleaning the floor with his back to them.

'A scary ghost is more shocking than beautiful goddesses.' Lucius said calmly. 'Beauty helps people feel relaxed, but fear keeps them nervous. They have the ability to keep them drawn in so that they can't help but stare and wonder... I'm sure that's why people are lured in by such stories.' The blonde man finished with a cryptic smile in the direction of the janitor who suddenly caught sight of them and offered them a bright, satisfied smile.

The CEO narrowed his eyes.

'How truly shocking and frightening.' he stated, looking down upon the unlucky janitor who happened to be Harry Potter.

'What do you think you're doing? Why did you come here?' he asked harshly, uncaring of the people staring at them. An image of a board, writing with big, red letters "The Dignified CEO and his Janitor" came unbidden to his mind, making him seethe with fury.

The boy was undeterred in spite of it.

'I am a janitor here. I got a job here.' he answered with a smile in their direction and pointing to his insignia on his gray robe.

'There are many things and places to clean, why here of all places?'

'Because... you are here' Harry stated simply.

Riddle grinded his teeth in exasperation.

'You're doing it quite by the book. In order to get a man, the person starts working where the man can see them. Then they start meeting eyes and eating together with work as an excuse. Is that what you expected?'

'I know you don't believe what I said, but you know that's not what I expect from you.'

Harry said softly, trying to touch the Master's arm but this one quickly stepped away from him, looking displeased.

'Ah, you said it was because you see ghosts, right? Ghosts' he scoffed inwardly.' I hear there's one here, too. Did you come to meet a friend?' inquired the CEO with false cheer.

'There is one here?' Harry looked but the Atrium wasn't very crowded at this time in the afternoon so he didn't spot any ghosts.

'No, there isn't.' he said confidently, turning to see the CEO looking relieved. 'If there was one then, I would've held on to you.' Harry made to reach the man's arm but he was rebuked again.

'That's right! This fountain is extremely expensive. How dare a ghost come and stay around it' he murmured, pleased.

Harry laughed in his hand.

'Mr. CEO, are you believing what I'm saying right now? You  _are_  believing what I said, aren't you?'

Dark intense eyes bored him down. Riddle seemed to envelop himself anew with his icy attitude.

'Believe you? Don't be ridiculous. Of course not, there aren't any ghosts and it's a given that they don't exist.'

Harry pursed his lips in a forlorn pout.

'And also, don't clean here.' ordered the CEO.

Harry inhaled sharply.

'Why not?'

'It's also a given that I would kick you, who's targeting me,  _out_ ' concluded the CEO in a caustic voice. 'Get lost, Potter.'

~(*)~

'Mr. CEO! There's a problem.' rushed Rodolphus, out of breath.

'What?' growled the Master, already railed after his earlier confrontation with the strange Potter boy.

'I'm not sure when the broadcast station found out, but that paranormal picture incident is going to be on TV.'

'A prank by some kids is going on T.V.?' inquired the CEO, quickening his pace to reach his office and see what this is all about. He had a bad feeling, and his day has been terrible, from the morning until now.

'It's because the rumor spread and the issue got bigger. It seems your past got intertwined with this.'

Riddle closed his eyes in exasperation. He could feel the beginning of a headache when he spotted Rita Skeeter reporting the news. The blasted woman was always at his heels!

He noted Malfoy lurking in the background and also his aunt, sitting in a sofa. Great, all he needed in his office right now.

' _Behind the smiling girls, a boy's disfigured face was also in the shot. While we were investigating this picture, we found out a connection between the place where this picture was taken. Do you remember the kidnapping case from 15 years ago?_

_The young heir of the Slytherin family and his friend were kidnapped and the culprits asked for $10 million for the two persons but Regulus Black, who was an orphan, ended up dead._

_The boy who was kidnapped with the college student who died, known as Master Riddle is the CEO of the shopping mall where the picture was taken. They say that weird rumors were already going around the place before._

Riddle seethed with anger. The Skeeter woman unearthed even the pictures with him when they rescued him from the captors.

The scene changed, showing the park outside Kingdom and one of his own security man declaring:

' _Everyone knows about the dead boyfriend of the CEO roaming around the mall. That's why when we take patrol-stroll at night it's downright frightening and scary..._

The CEO decided right then to cut Seamus's Finnegan fee for three months at least.

The scene changed again, showing a grizzled-lined face of Mad-Eye Moody, the detective in charge of the case, 13 years ago.

' _The statute of limitations of that case expires soon. That means the case will close without catching the culprit, so the victim could have felt unfair.'..._

Riddle shut his eyes, willing himself to calm down and stop listening. He could feel the gaze of his Secretary, watching him almost pityingly. Bellatrix was watching the reportage like a hawk while Rodolphus was probably giddy to witness his explosion. He turned on his heels and exited the room, slamming the doors shut behind him.

He had to get out and murder Moody for his indiscretion. Right before he reached the Atrium he stumbled hard into someone.

The CEO stared icily at Harry Potter, dressed in his gray janitor robes.

The boys green eyes fixed him curiously, and a little uneasy to be stopping him in such a rage.

'We saw everything on the TV. It wasn't that boy...The boy that's in the photo, it wasn't Regulus.' Harry claimed softly.

Riddle's nostrils flared and he growled, pushing Harry away from him.

'Shut up and  _get lost_!'

Harry gaped after him.

However, he wouldn't feel sorry for pushing the boy away. He should be grateful he didn't fire him on the spot!

Fuming, he got his car and drove in a haze to the police station.

'Why did you do an interview with that unbelievable story?' he enquired of Moody later.

'The statute of limitations will expire soon for that case. I did it because I thought, if this becomes an issue, a new clue might pop up.'

Riddle tightened his fists imperceptibly. Mad-Eye Moody was a close friend of Albus Dumbledore, whom he never trusted. He didn't trust Moody either, and he kept him directly responsible for the trauma he had experienced in his past.

'Do you think the culprits will turn themselves in because they are scared of the ghost?'

'If the culprit saw it, they probably felt some guilt. Regulus Black partly died because of your fault. Don't you feel sorry for that boy?'

Riddle gritted his teeth and kept silent.

'Because you are Kingdom's CEO, you seem to be living a great life and the less you could do is make sure you don't forget that boy' added Moody, not in the least affected by the furious looking Riddle.

The bastard. It was probably Dumbledore who orchestrated everything but he was helpless to prove it.

Riddle breathed slowly.

'I'm living a great life from listening to your words all those years ago. "Just forget everything; a living person needs to live."

'Did I?' Moody asked, confused that the CEO remembered. 'Well, I'm not going to give up on this case.'

'If that's so, then find my money that also disappeared' Riddle hissed with a voice that could cut into iron.

'Are you  _really_  fine? After the incident, you had a post-traumatic disability.' Moody took out a newspaper and handed it to him. 'Can you read it now?'

Riddle avoided looking at the paper. It was making him queasy. Uneasy, because memories were already desperate to crawl in into his ordered and silent mind.

'It's gotten better' he claimed, hating the man for bringing up his weakness.

Moody smiled unpleasantly.

'Then I guess you haven't forgotten about the case and aren't really living a good life.'

The CEO walked briskly to his car, but didn't get in. Outside it was raining, just a slight drizzle, but it managed to cool off his headache.

He remembered standing in front of his uncle, Salazar Slytherin. All, they  _all_  asked the same question:  _"Did you really not see the culprit's face?"_

" _I did not"_  he'd answered in a spent voice.

" _Of course. If you saw, you wouldn't have stayed alive, just like what happened to the dead Regulus Black."_

" _That's right. He died because he knew who the culprit was."_

However, he knew. Everything. He could almost see it again. The deserted hangar. The chair to which he was tied to tightly. Waking up from the drug they gave him. One person in black, silent, restraining him and his Regulus, dear Regulus, coming up to him and saying:  _"I'm sorry it has come to this, Tom Riddle"._

Regulus dying in a burst of flames...

~(*)~

Harry was in a depressed frame of mind. He felt this way, after the underserved hard dismissal from the CEO. When he came home, drenched in rain he found again Denis and Colin Creevey waiting for him. Now, they were all sitting in his living room, eating. The boys were both ravenously hungry.

'I wonder who this boy is...' Harry murmured to himself, displeased that the ghosts were now making the life difficult for his protector. He'd heard all day the employees whispering about the CEO's past.

'You said he was a ghost' Denis said. 'You said you see dead people. You can try and find him.'

Harry chewed on his sandwich, eyeing warily the dark outside.

'That's right.' He sighed and got up, making up his mind. 'If I find him, I can help that person. And if I help that person, he might let me stay next to him. Colin, your mom isn't coming home today either?'

'Yes, I guess she's busy trying to make money.'

Harry frowned. Were these children by themselves all the time?

'Alright. Eat a lot, and if you're sleepy then just sleep here. I'll be right back.'

Shaking his head, he dressed for his new ghost mission. This time, he was going to search deliberatingly for the ghosts. He wondered if he was crazy, but the prospect of having the CEO warmly holding him and keeping him safe won against any sane arguments.

Walking to the Kingdom shopping mall took about fifteen minutes. Harry tried to keep his head down and ignore the cold drafts specific to ghosts.

Inside the mall, it was mostly empty. He wondered how he was going to explain his presence here if he was found.

The Atrium was free of ghosts but he's expected it. He walked to the men's toilet and checked them one by one. He remembered seeing a quiet ghost sitting always on the same toilet.

With a trembling hand he opened the door and- cringed. He had the picture downloaded to the internet kept tightly in his hand.

The ghost's eerily sad eyes zeroed on him. Harry shook his head quickly, apologizing and shutting the door back. It wasn't the one.

Wandering around, he caught sight of another one. He climbed the stairs after the blue transparent figure.

'Hey! Can I see your face for a sec-' another disfigured terrible man's face, but not the one.

'I'm sorry; I don't think it's you.'

He retreated in haste, aware the other ghost was still watching him.

More traipsing around left Harry utterly drained. It was night time. He didn't sleep in ages. His eyes fluttered close and he leaned his head back on the bench.

A hand suddenly clasped his shoulder and he jumped awake, terrified.

'What are you doing here, like a stray cat?' Hermione Granger asked, brown eyes curiously inspecting him and his paranormal picture. Harry hid it behind his back.

'Ah, I remember you said you worked here' he answered sheepishly.

'From the security camera room, it looked like you were just walking around' she said, wonderingly.

'I am a janitor. I've been working here for a few days.'

'The cleaning team should have been done by now.' Stated Hermione. Not quite an interrogation, she seemed pretty friendly but...

'I lost something while I was cleaning, so I was walking around to see if I could find it. So I'll be going now to look for it some more.' Harry answered.

'It's dark, aren't you scared to walk around alone? And there are rumors saying there's a ghost here' Hermione trailed off, looking actually more scared herself. 'I will escort you around' she offered in a more confident voice. 'What is it that you're looking for?'

'It's not something you can see.' Harry said mysteriously.

'I have good vision' braved Hermione.

'Okay' he accepted simply.

Because of Hermione, Harry had a harder time masking his reactions to the gruesome ghosts. However, they walked from floor to floor but he still didn't find the one he was looking for.

At least it's been amusing.

When reaching the atrium, near the fountain goddesses, three high school girls and a ghost were already there.

Hermione tensed on his left and grabbed his arm. .

'What are the four of them doing here?' Harry murmured.

Hermione turned to him, staring at him oddly.

'There are only three of them' she said.

'Ah...'

'Myrtle, we came to meet you' one of the girls called to the fountain, unaware of the ghost of a disfigured girl standing right behind her. 'I-we have something to tell you. Are you here right now?'

By her voice, the girl seemed totally terrified. Harry pitied them.

'Hey! What do you think you're doing?!' Hermione stepped to them, startling the young girls.

'You're the girls from the picture, aren't you?' Harry inquired.

They watched him, shrouded in black shadows, even more frightened.

~(*)~

Harry waited with bated breath. He was terribly sleepy but he wanted to make sure being the first one catching the CEO. After last night he finally had some palpable information to offer his angered Master. He didn't expect miracles but then maybe, just maybe, the CEO would realize he has some utility?

" _Stop dreaming"_ the Master's rich voice sounded from a corner in his mind.

The white car of the CEO turned in the underground parking at last. Harry walked quickly and stopped right in front of it, forcing the Secretary to stop the car right there, plainly shaken by Harry's sudden appearance.

The CEO got out and slammed the door angrily. He came to tower darkly over Harry.

'Must I have to see that face of yours when I come in for work?' he asked, gesturing irritated in Harry's direction.

No matter, he will change his mind soon...

'Didn't I tell you to quit cleaning here?'

'I found out.' Harry said with a triumphant smile and bright face, drinking in the imposing image the Master made, just by confronting him.

'What?' asked the CEO firmly for elaboration.

'I found out who the ghost was in that picture.'

~(*)~


End file.
